Inghams to introduce new agent portal as part of tech upgrade

Inghams is replacing its current systems with a new platform which will give it a better agent portal, improved connectivity to hotel stock, direct APIs and greater flexibility.

The investment in the new technology follows the activity holiday operator’s acquisition by German travel company Dertour in August last year.

Inghams managing director John Mansell said the new platform would be in before Christmas and would bring “exciting benefits”.

“We’re currently very much a seven-night charter operation but this will open up flexible durations.

 
“It also means a lot of the really nice hotels we couldn’t get allocations in before will come back into our programme and this all opens up new markets.”

Operations director Matt Bramich explained this meant Inghams would be able to present its ski and summer holidays in clearer categories. It will start with “family”, “luxury”, “learn to ski” and “unique stays”.

The operator is also expanding its Norway ski programme for next winter by flying into Oslo as well as Bergen.

 
“This opens up the rest of the ski resorts that are in Norway,” said Mansell.

 
The operator is also adding more flexibility on flying into its Lapland programmes, through Kitilla and Ivalo.

It offers three, four and seven night durations currently and has seen the three and four-night breaks into January become really popular.

 
Mansell said: “Our Lapland Adventure programme is great for families with older children and also with our 50 years olds who want to do something a bit different.”

The programme offers activities such as husky dog-sledding, snowmobiling and viewing the Northern Lights.

Inghams is currently trialling some new marketing creative for its summer programme, playing on the demand for holidays in slightly cooler climates.

Marketing director Dean Harvey said: “We know the likes of Turkey and Greece, where the temperature is getting above 40 degrees in the summer, are a bit hot for some people.

There are multiple things to do in the mountains in the summer and our current “Better than the beach” campaign is outperforming other messaging.”

 
Meanwhile, the operator has doubled its trade sales team to six under sales and service director Christie Green. There are now two account managers for the north and south and three sales execs charged with being out on the road meeting agents while the account managers are focused on more strategic relationships at a head office level.

Two of the sales exec roles are filled and Inghams is still looking for one in the South.